Lefever Fever

[Roundsworth]

Steve, I came upon a shotgun I 'just had to have', and the Lefever became a bargaining tool. That G Grade was a great handling gun. I actually like the 'hockey stick' dimensions on older guns.

[Bruce Day]

There is a really nice circa 1900 Lefever G 12ga with damascus barrels, nice wood and lots of case colors that is available if a person is looking. Not cheap but probably fair priced, and not mine but privately held. If you are looking , PM me and I'll connect you. So far as I know, it is a collector quality gun.

[Eldon Goddard]

I got to handle my neighbors O grade DM Lefever a couple of months back. First Lefever I have ever handled, pretty rare on this side of the country. Very nice gun, unfortunately the right barrel is blown. Made my week to see it.

[Stepmac]

Originally Posted by Eldon Goddard

I got to handle my neighbors O grade DM Lefever a couple of months back. First Lefever I have ever handled, pretty rare on this side of the country. Very nice gun, unfortunately the right barrel is blown. Made my week to see it.

Lefevers have a problem. The company was bought and the gun morphed into a rather plain box lock gun. So early Lefevers are not like the later ones which were made into the 1940s. You want the side lock gun; or at least I do. Not sure when they stopped making them, but I think, not long after Uncle Dan left the company in 1901 or 02. I guess he was quite a character and difficult to get along with.

I read that Lefevers were the first hammerless shotgun. Anyway, I enjoy my very standard "I" grade which was a hardware store gun when it came out.

[Bruce Day]

The locks ( aka hammer mechanism) are within and attached to the frame and not to the side plates so they are boxlocks. Side cover plates conceal the action and access is by removing the side covers.

[Jack Kuzepski]

Bruce,

The earlier (serial number pre-25000) Lefevers are semi-side locks as the sears and sear springs were mounted to the lock plates.

Jack Kuzepski

[Bruce Day]

Originally Posted by Jack Kuzepski

Bruce,

The earlier (serial number pre-25000) Lefevers are semi-side locks as the sears and sear springs were mounted to the lock plates.

Jack Kuzepski

Thanks Jack. I didn't know that. My knowledge of Lefevers is pretty limited and I was going on the gun shown. I'm getting a bigger picture that they varied quite a bit. Chris, I have seen a few of the early Lefever boxlocks and they are attractive to me. The late ones look sort of industrial but each person has different likes.

[chris dawe]

Here's one I found on guns america ,I hope this work's .... item Number: 901548294

[Parker Bachelder (Brad's Profile)]

Lefever sideplates are in fact side covers to hold the sears and cocking indicators. I would consider the action to be a transitional sidelock, not a true boxlock.
The design first showed up in the Needham Barrel Cocking,Self Ejector patent of 1874. Joseph Needham's designs strongly influenced Lefever's lock designs and passion for ejector systems.

Brad

[Roundsworth]

My other G Grade was also a side plate gun with the sears suspended in the receiver. It was made shortly after 1900. Here are some photos of my 1896 G Grade